Conversations with the Inspiring Jazilyne Houston

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jazilyne Houston.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Jazilyne. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have been interested in creating things since I was a young child. I excelled in all of my art classes and even got a scholarship to an after-school art program. I would not say that I took it as a serious career path until about a year of living in Colorado though. I had moved from Texas by myself and was beginning to feel as if I was just spending all of my time sleeping and making sandwiches at my job without developing any sort of career. I began going to the Community College of Denver in the fall of 2017 for multimedia graphic design. There, I have taken courses in both digital and fine arts and will be taking my capstone next fall. I am glad I made the decision to go back to school because I would have never gotten back into my old hobbies of photography and painting. A year into school, I made my leap into the modeling and fashion industry, making my Instagram account @JaztheCreativeModel. It was a challenge finding people to help me make content given the climate of the industry at first. Although I eventually found a small group of trusted photographers, they are not available as often as a random idea pops into my head. My need for content for my modeling and my genuine love for the art made me make the decision to launch @JaztheCreativePhotography. Despite the fact that I am studying digital arts, I fully consider myself a multimedia artist overall. I have experience in everything from graphite and charcoal to clay and acrylic paints. My work of all mediums has been featured in numerous art shows and publications with one work currently hanging in a downtown law office. I am currently working on building Jaz the Creative as a brand and developing client relationships for my art, modeling, and photography.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has certainly not been a smooth road for me. I have suffered financial and mental stress throughout the years. I have had to rely on friends and family to get me through some times. Working full time and going to school full time was a struggle but something that was necessary. Getting my following was also tricky at first. It was hard finding people that wanted to work with me because of my size, aesthetic and lack of money. My confidence at times is faulty even today because of these things but, I know at the end of the day my talent is my talent and I am in this all just to have an avenue for self-expression. The advice I would give to any young women starting something for themselves is following your true voice and living as authentically as you can. I am trying to piece the things that bring me joy in life together to make something of it because I want to be able to live happily and survive. I believe we all deserve authentic happiness but it is up to ourselves to make it happen.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
As a multimedia artist, I do a little bit of everything. I have training in the whole Adobe suite with my strong legs being in both Lightroom and Photoshop. In all of my work, I like using elements of abstraction and color or lack thereof. Although my work is inspired by my peers and other successes of creatives throughout time, I do believe my work is unlike most. I am proud to say that I have developed a style and brand that I am passionate about taking to the next level. I think my simple yet captivating imagery in my work sets me apart from other artists and I look forward to what my art will develop into in the future.

Do you have a lesson or advice you’d like to share with young women just starting out?
The biggest piece of advice I could give is, Just start doing it and be unapologetically you while doing so. If you are happy and enjoy the work that you do, your product will be much much better. It is really hard to take the leaps you need to at first because you question the outcome. Be confident and deliberate.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.facebook.com/JaztheCreativeModel
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/JaztheCreativePhotography
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/JaztheCreativePhotography
• Other: www.instagram.com/JaztheCreativeModel

Image Credit:
Model: Mai Hoffman, Photographer ( pink): Carina Henry of Gold Frame Photo, Photographer (cat ears and yellow wall): Mindy Delmez of Mon Ami Photography

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